Marty Friedman has just completed recording his upcoming solo album due out in 2024. According to Friedman in a post: "I just finished all the tracking for my new album. This time I did my normal guitar recording in Japan, and then came here to Italy for two weeks to record with all vintage guitars and amps. Can’t wait to share this music with you."
Further details recently emerged about the record after Friedman talked about it during a recent Q&A session at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp's "Metalmania III" in LA, hinting at a dramatic and orchestral direction.
"On this new album that I'm about 70 percent done with, the closest thing I can relate it to is an album I had called Scenes, which I released quite a while ago. It was very dramatic and orchestral, and there were a lot of other types of instruments — violins, cellos, and all that type of stuff. So it's more of a dramatic, orchestral concept. But everything that I've learned since that Scenes album has just exponentially grown, so it's a much bigger scale. So if you like that Scenes album at all, I think this one will be right up your alley" explained Friedman.
Friedman's ambition for this album shone through his words, emphasizing the desire to surpass previous achievements: "I've got 15 solo albums now, and each time I try to do something new and something I've never done before. I don't want ever to be heard as one of those guys, 'Ah, his early albums were great.' You know what I mean? I used to say that about my favorite guitarists — sadly — and I never wanted that to be said about me. So I'm always challenging myself on new stuff"
Friedman's musical journey has been nothing short of remarkable, captivating audiences worldwide with his technical prowess and genre-bending versatility. His upcoming album is slated for release in the spring of 2024, coinciding with the release of his autobiography, adding another dimension to Marty's multifaceted career.